


Caves of Treasure

by summerdownturn



Series: How to Train Your Dragon [3]
Category: Twenty One Pilots
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Dragon!Josh, Fluff, How to Train Your Dragon references (no spoilers), Human!Tyler, Josh is still insecure, M/M, Slight Panic Attack, Supernatural Elements
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-15
Updated: 2015-07-15
Packaged: 2018-04-09 10:17:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4344686
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/summerdownturn/pseuds/summerdownturn
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Tyler finds that Josh's "dragon surprises" don't end when he moves into Josh's apartment. Some are cute, while others are heartbreaking. Tyler just ends up more determined to make Josh love every part of himself.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Caves of Treasure

**Author's Note:**

> Josh has more of a panic attack in this one, but I didn't write it very descriptively just so I don't accidentally trigger myself. And more touching on Josh's insecurities and he also doesn't bind correctly. Please bind safely!

Tyler honestly thought that when he moved in with Josh that he wouldn’t discover any more surprises. Boy, was he wrong.

He knew that Josh’s apartment didn’t have air conditioning, only heat, and Tyler was starting to get used to it since he spent all his time there anyway. Tyler knew that Josh’s bedroom was always kept dark, heavy black-out curtains drawn over the window at all times, the only source of light being the mood lights that were laid down on the floor pushed into the room’s corners. Then there was the theme of red that Tyler picked up rather quickly when he walked into the apartment for the first time, a red couch, red lighting, and red mugs and dishes in the cabinets.

Josh made sure his home was warm and comfortable. So it was a rather easy transition to start feeling at home in the cozy apartment. Tyler just thought the little “dragon surprises” would have slowed down once he got settled in with Josh.

The first surprise happened when they were moving Tyler’s stuff in.

Josh had made space for Tyler’s clothes and keyboard beforehand, so it was rather an easy event to put all that stuff away. Except when Tyler opened the closet, he wasn’t quite sure what he was seeing.

“Uh, Josh?” Tyler said after a moment of staring at the closet floor. Josh turned around with a hum from where he was putting Tyler’s things in the dresser.

“Oh,” Josh stated when he noticed what his boyfriend was looking at. On the closet floor was a mess of blankets and knickknacks jumbled up together. Tyler didn’t move to touch it, but he was pretty sure he saw several drumsticks and snapbacks sticking out from underneath all the blankets. Tyler was just surprised because Josh’s apartment was kept relatively clean, and he didn’t expect Josh to have a mess of a closet.

Tyler glanced at Josh to see him rubbing the back of his neck with a hand before moving it down to rub at the colors on his arm instead. Tyler noted that Josh started to do this more and more often when he was embarrassed.

“Those are, uh, my treasures,” Josh mumbled, looking down at the floor. Tyler tilted his head in confusion, turning back to the pile. He moved to grab a shirt from the base of the pile, but he heard Josh start making a whining sound in the back of his throat, and he quickly moved his hand back. The noise stopped. Tyler looked back at Josh with wide eyes, because he had never heard Josh make _that_ sound, and Josh’s face heated up with embarrassment.

“Your treasures?” Tyler clarified, and Josh nodded. 

“Things, uh, important to me. Like, y’know in the fairy tales and stuff how dragons are always guarding a treasure, usually gold?” Tyler nodded and Josh went on further. “Well it’s kinda like that. A dragon’s hoarding. His treasure…” He explained, trailing off and staring down at his fingers tracing the colors of his tattoo near his wrist.

“So, dragons are hoarders?” Tyler asked, still a bit confused at the idea.

Josh shrugged. “Kinda. I guess. Not like you see on TV, but like, just little things. Things that hold importance. Things with memory. Things you can’t throw out. Kinda like all your notebooks.” Josh gestured to the corner of the room where a box sat filled with several notebooks and Tyler’s belongings. And then Tyler got it. He would never throw away those notebooks, they were apart of Tyler, and they _were_ Tyler essentially, years of growth and work, proof of his improvement on both writing and his depression. Tyler wouldn’t give them up for the world.

“Oh. Okay.” Tyler didn’t know what to say after that, so he moved to get his clothes off the bed to hang them up in the spot Josh had cleared for him in the closet. Tyler paused, asking, “You don’t mind me putting these in here, do you? I don’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

Josh shook his head. “No, no. It’s fine. I made room for you for a reason. Maybe,” Josh paused, pulling at his lip with his teeth, “Maybe I could show them to you later,” he ended in a soft voice, gesturing to the bottom of the closet. 

Tyler’s chest pooled with a feeling of admiration and pride. Josh was offering to share his most important things with him, and Tyler couldn’t refuse. “Yeah, J. I would really, really like that,” he said sincerely.

And it was worth it to see the genuine smile that spread over Josh’s face, full of excitement and endearment at Tyler wanting to see a part of him that Josh loved dearly. That Josh wanted to share with Tyler, because Tyler _belonged_ to that pile now, not just the pens of Tyler’s that Josh took when Tyler wasn’t looking that already found a home in the mess of blankets, but _all_ of Tyler. Tyler was his treasure now, and Josh was so ecstatic that he couldn’t contain himself from _not_ kissing Tyler at that moment.

Josh surged across the room to connect their lips, and the force of it, the emotion laced within the kiss, took Tyler aback. Tyler responded eagerly after a moment, matching what Josh gave him, smoothing his hands up and down Josh’s sides to calm him down, telling him _I’m right here, I’m not going anywhere. It’s okay. I’ve got you._ Josh pulled back after several moments, resting his forehead onto Tyler’s and letting the nervous energy within him dissipate.

“Thank you,” Josh said under his breath, locking his eyes with Tyler’s.

“Of course,” Tyler responded, reaching up to run his hands through Josh’s hair. Josh sighed in content, moving his head down to Tyler’s shoulder and embracing him in a hug. Tyler smoothed his hand over Josh’s back, feeling Josh tense before moving his hand back up to the base of his neck, kneading at the muscle there instead. Josh relaxed again, pressing small kisses to the juncture of Tyler’s neck. 

They stayed like that for a while, Tyler’s clothes completely forgotten.

All that mattered to Tyler at that moment was Josh and trying to get him to understand without words that he would never hurt him, never leave him, and never get angry with him for something that Josh can’t control. Because Josh was different and he needed someone to understand that, but that didn’t mean Tyler loved him any less. If anything, it made Tyler love him more. He just had to convince Josh of that.

* * *

The second surprise came a few days after the first.

Tyler didn’t ever really consider it. He knew Josh had wings, he knew Josh binded them, but he didn’t even think about what Josh did when Tyler wasn’t there. He had to take the binder off sometime. So Tyler didn’t even think about how he has seen Josh in his binder for three days straight after he moved in.

It only came into his mind when they were getting ready for bed and Josh laid down on the mattress with a grunt. Tyler’s eyes widened in realization and he turned to face Josh on the bed.

“Josh?” Tyler called and Josh responded with another grunt. “When’s the last time you took off your binder?” The words rang out in the space between them, and Tyler could see Josh stiffen.

Josh shrugged, his back still turned to Tyler. “I don’t know. This morning?” He answered, not sounding sure of himself. Josh huffed out a sigh, mumbling, “Just drop it, Ty,” before curling up under the blankets. Tyler stared at the back of Josh’s head in disbelief.

Tyler reached out his hand, putting it on the smooth scales on Josh’s shoulder and tugging to have his boyfriend face him, but Josh pulled back. “I’m not gunna drop this, Josh. It’s important.” Tyler’s voice was stern, making Josh just burry himself deeper into the comforter. “Josh, look at me.” Tyler braced himself on his arm to look over Josh, waiting for the other to turn and face him. “ _Josh_ ,” he pleaded, and Josh turned around to face Tyler just from the pure desperation in his voice.

Tyler studied his face for a moment, noting that Josh wouldn’t meet his eyes. “Are you not taking off your binder because I’m here?” Josh bit his lip, his brow furrowing in frustration before meeting Tyler’s eyes briefly before having to turn away with a sigh. 

“Maybe.” Josh shrugged, trying to dismiss the weight of what he was referring to. “I’m _fine_ , Ty. Don’t worry.”

“You are not fine, Josh!” Tyler yelled in desperation, causing Josh to jump and bite down farther on his lip. Tyler took a deep breath to calm himself down. He didn’t want to scare Josh. “I’ve been here three days, and I haven’t seen you without your binder on, Josh. Even I know how much that must hurt! You’re hurting yourself, and I won’t let you do that, especially not on my behalf. I care about you so, _so_ much, Josh. I’m not gunna let you do this to yourself.”

Tyler heard Josh sniffle before bringing a hand up to wipe a tear from his cheek. “Josh,” Tyler sighed, pulling Josh up to face him before wrapping his arms around his upset boyfriend. Tyler’s heart broke when Josh softly sobbed into his shoulder.

“I hate them, Ty,” Josh sniffled through his tears. “I just want to be normal.”

“I know, J. I know.” Tyler threaded his fingers through the hair at the nape of Josh’s neck, trying to comfort his boyfriend anyway he knew how. “But you’re _hurting_ yourself, Josh. I can’t just sit by and let you do this to yourself when you’re in pain. I should’ve realized sooner.”

“B-but I’m in pain whether or not I wear it. So what does it matter?”

“It matters because you’re not just hurting your wings, you’re hurting your ribs and back as well. You’re cutting off circulation to your chest, Josh. Do you know how dangerous that is?” Tyler so badly wanted to sooth Josh by rubbing his hand down his back, but Tyler didn’t know how much pain that would cause him, so he refrained, running his hand up and down Josh’s arm instead.

Josh hiccupped with a sob, burying himself further into Tyler’s chest, and Tyler wondered just what exactly happened to Josh to make him hide away the dragon part of him. As far as Tyler knew, the rest of Josh’s family was proud of their heritage.

“I’m not telling you to never wear it again. I’m just saying to take it off around the house. I don’t want you to permanently hurt yourself, J.” Tyler hoped Josh would agree. He wasn’t sure what he would do if Josh refused. It took a few more minutes of Josh crying into Tyler’s chest before he felt Josh calm down. “Okay?”

Josh sniffed, leaning back to wipe his hands over his red and tear-strained face. He nodded, dropping his hands in his lap and staring at them intently. “O-okay,” Josh said weakly. 

“Would it help if I slept on the couch?” Tyler offered in a soft voice, still running a soothing hand through Josh’s hair. Tyler felt his head shake.

“No. Please, stay here?” Josh looked up at him with pleading eyes, and not even a tornado could tear him away from Josh right now.

“Of course. Anything you need, J. I’m here.” Tyler reassured, and Josh managed to give him a weak smile. Josh let out a deep breath, trying to calm his nerves and prepare himself for what would happen next. Tyler would surely freak out, right?

But Tyler just gave him a small encouraging smile, so Josh huffed out another breath and leaned back to take his shirt off. Taking his shirt off was the easy part, even if the muscles in his shoulders and back protested. But as Josh tried to peel the binder off, he let out a pained gasp when he tried to lift it over his head.

Tyler quickly stepped in, helping Josh lift the tight fabric over his head. Tyler could only see a glimpse of Josh’s wings, but they were held tightly against his body, black and leathery. Tyler focused his attention on Josh’s face. His eyes locked with Tyler’s looking panicked, and Tyler could tell he was having a hard time breathing.

“Josh. Breathe. Okay?” Tyler didn’t know if he should comfort him with his touch, so he settled for taking Josh’s hand instead. “Deep breath in,” Tyler instructed, taking in a deep breath as an example, and Josh followed with a wheeze. “Out, slowly.” Josh made a whining noise as he breathed out, and Tyler know he did that to make sure he could hear the air actually leaving his lungs. “Good. Again.”

They did this for five minutes, until Tyler couldn’t feel Josh’s pulse jumping out from his wrist anymore, and his expression turned into one of exhaustion. Tyler brought their hands up to his mouth and spent a moment just kissing Josh’s knuckles. 

“Ty?”

“Yeah, J?”

“I need…” Josh drifted off, looking off to the side.

“What, J?” Tyler pushed gently, just to get him back on track.

“I need to stretch. And I… I don’t want to freak you out,” Josh explained in a small voice, bringing a hand up to worry the back of his neck.

“Oh. Well, you’re not gunna freak me out. I love all parts of you, Josh.” Tyler realized what he said a little too late, but he refused to take it back because it was true. Josh realized what Tyler said quickly, his eyes snapping to attention, starting widely at Tyler’s.

“Oh.”

Tyler just smiled, watching how Josh’s expression turned from surprised to flustered with embarrassment. He ran a hand through Josh’s hair again, it was his favorite way to comfort Josh, before suggesting, “I could look away, if it makes you feel more comfortable, though.”

Josh didn’t say anything, so Tyler decided to give him some privacy. Tyler heard rustling in the sheets a few minutes later, followed by Josh getting up from the bed. Tyler couldn’t help but wince as he heard joints popping, Josh groaning in relief and discomfort. He then felt the bed dip with a sigh, and then Josh was pulling him back against his chest and wrapping an arm around Tyler’s waist.

Tyler smiled, running his hand down the one around his waist to tangle their fingers together. Josh nosed the back of his neck, and Tyler couldn’t begin to feel more satisfied.

“Night, J,” Tyler whispered into the air in front of him as he slowly drifted off to sleep, body relaxing into the warmth of his boyfriend.

“G’night, Ty.” Josh mumbled back, voice already drifting in exhaustion. “I love you, too.”

* * *

Living together required changes in habit from both Tyler and Josh, they quickly discovered. Tyler couldn’t practice songs or sing when it was three in the morning when he couldn’t sleep. He had to settle for writing and watching Netflix instead, while Josh slept peacefully beside him.

Josh also discovered that while he slept comfortably underneath a mountain of heated blankets and Tyler curled up by his side, Tyler wasn’t too fond of it and nearly got heatstroke from trying. Josh had to forego his blankets for Tyler, since apparently humans had a low heat tolerance. Instead, Josh had to cuddle Tyler like a koala to get the warmth he needed to be able to fall asleep, which Tyler didn’t mind as much.

But there were also the little things that they learned about each other. Tyler learned that while Josh worked at a coffee shop, he preferred tea over coffee. Tyler made sure when he got up before Josh to turn on both the coffee machine and the kettle so they could both get their morning caffeine fix. He learned how long to steep each kind of tea, and that Josh like English Breakfast in the morning, herbal tea throughout the day, and chamomile at night, all three of which with one sugar and no milk. He also learned that Josh never dried off completely after a shower and left damp shirts and patches around the apartment for Tyler to sit down in later.

Josh learned that Tyler could fall asleep within minutes in the weirdest positions, and he often found him slumped over, fast asleep on his books on the breakfast bar after Josh returned home from work. Josh would let him sleep while he made dinner, because waking up with food already prepared was the best, and Josh was sure Tyler probably forgot to eat all day. He also learned when Tyler would rather be left alone. Josh would walk in from class to see him curled up in the closet next to his treasure (which had become a safe space for both Tyler and Josh), furiously writing in a notebook with a blank or pained expression on his face. Josh would leave him alone and bring him some food that Tyler would maybe take a bite of, if he was feeling up to it. 

It pained him that he couldn’t help Tyler any other way than leaving him alone, but the previous times he had tried to get him to talk, Tyler just pushed him away. But Tyler would eventually come to him, whether it be within hours or the next day, and Josh would just wrap his arms around his boyfriend, softly play with his hair and listen to Tyler explain what was on his mind. Or they would sit in a comfortable silence because Tyler didn’t need to tell him everything. And that was okay, too.

* * *

“Josh!” Tyler yelled excitedly as he stormed into the apartment, throwing his backpack onto the floor and then wincing because it had his laptop in it. Immediately, there were several bangs and curses coming from the bathroom that had Tyler wincing again as he softly shut the door behind him. Maybe making such a grand entrance wasn’t such a good idea after all.

Nonetheless, Tyler happily bounded into the bathroom where Josh was taking a shower. Or would be taking a shower since Tyler nearly startled him out of the shower. Tyler had to hold back a laugh when he opened the door to see Josh tangled up with the shower curtain that had been pulled down, with bottles of shampoo and body wash everywhere.

He let out a giggle anyway. “Sorry.”

Josh just sighed and Tyler went to help Josh detangle himself, nearly getting a wing to the face in the process that caused Josh to be the one apologizing instead. Tyler just blushed as he righted the shower curtain, because just now was he realizing Josh was naked, and _that_ was a new experience.

Tyler didn’t realize he was staring until Josh cleared his throat and hid behind the shower curtain to continue his shower. 

“Was there something you wanted, or were you just trying to see me naked?” Josh said with a hint of amusement, and Tyler’s face flushed hotter.

“Um. Oh! Yeah! Hurry up, we’re going to the festival!” Tyler’s embarrassment burned away when he remembered why he had interrupted Josh in the first place, excitement taking its place as he bounced on his feet like a child.

Josh peeked at him from behind the curtain, raising an eyebrow. “Really, Ty?” But Tyler just smiled wide and nodded.

“Yeah! The last few weeks of summer is the city fair, and it’s really fun!” Tyler had taken a seat on the bathroom counter, swinging his legs back and forth and drew pictures in the steam as he explained.

Josh just stared at him in wonder, a smile slowly spreading across his face until it was a full out grin. Tyler turned his attention back to Josh after he had been silent for more than a minute.

“What?” Josh was just smiling at him, staring, and it was concerning Tyler. Did Josh not like the fair? But that wouldn’t explain why he was smiling…

Josh shook his head, huffing out a laugh. “Nothing. You’re just…” He paused trying to find the right word to describe Tyler’s childishness.

“Just?” Tyler egged on, nervously tugging at his bottom lip with his teeth.

“An idiot.” Tyler was about to protest but Josh continued, “That I love. I’ll be out in a minute. And then we can go to the fair.”

Josh’s head disappeared behind the curtain once again, and Tyler silently fist pumped.

“But you’re buying me a corn dog!” Josh added.

“I’ll buy you whatever you want, babe. I’ll win you prizes, too!”

Some Redbull and an hour later, they were at the fairgrounds. Tyler was buzzing with excitement and Josh was just happy that they were somewhere Tyler could release that energy. They got their tickets and Josh was immediately pulled over to the game booths. Josh laughed when he saw where Tyler was headed.

“Let me guess, this is the only game you’re good at?” Josh commented as they stepped in front of a basketball game. Tyler scoffed as he handed a disinterested kid a ticket in return for a basketball.

“No, I just need to get my practice in somehow.” Tyler said in an unconvincing tone, and Josh went to the aisle next to him to pick up a ball as well. The game was simple; make five baskets with the net moving further back each time. Tyler and Josh each made the first basket, but Josh missed all of the baskets after that, while Tyler got every one.

Tyler cheered in celebration as he received a prize, and Josh sulked as he was handed a piece of candy. When it became apparent that Tyler wasn’t leaving the booth without the biggest prize, Josh told him he was going to scope out the other games and get his corndog.

Josh found Tyler eating cotton candy on a bench ten minutes later, a giant stuffed animal sitting next to him. The gift Josh had bought Tyler at one of the artisan booths was tiny in comparison.

“Hey.” Josh greeted and Tyler smiled up at him. He presented the flower crown and gently put it upon Tyler’s head. “A crown for my Khaleesi.”

“Why, you shouldn’t have,” Tyler gasped, mockingly. “It matches my shoes,” he observed, kicking his feet for emphasis. “I love it.” Tyler offered some cotton candy and Josh tore a piece off. “Do you like my new friend?” Tyler asked, throwing his arm around what Josh now saw was a familiar black dragon. “I’m naming him Jersh." 

Josh rolled his eyes and stole more cotton candy. “His name is Toothless, Ty.”

“Huh? But he has teeth.” Tyler frowned, inspecting the dragon’s mouth.

“It’s Toothless from How to Train Your Dragon. Don’t tell me you’ve never seen that movie?”

“Uh, I’ve never seen that movie?” Tyler said reluctantly, posing it as a question because he could already sense the frenzied response his boyfriend was about to give him.

Josh huffed incredulously, stomping his foot a little and crossing his arms. “We’re watching it as soon as we get home.”

“Alright,” Tyler agreed, smiling at the cute determined expression on Josh’s face. “Anyway, I won him for you. I figured you would have a lot in common.” Tyler picked up the giant black dragon and presented it to Josh, who struggled to see Tyler over the plush Toothless after it was shoved into his arms.

“Thanks,” Josh mumbled into the fabric. “How is this gunna fit in the car?”

Tyler shrugged. “I didn’t think about that.”

After another hour of dragging Toothless around to play more games and eat fried food, Tyler and Josh decided to head home. After a few tries, they managed to fit the stuffed toy in the back seat of Josh’s car while passing people eyed them curiously.

Josh kept his promise of making Tyler watch the movie and its sequel, and the stuffed Toothless joined their cuddle session on the couch beneath blankets and popcorn. Tyler ended up crying at the end of both movies, and Josh didn’t make fun of him because his eyes were teary too. And Tyler thought that maybe it was fate that he picked out Toothless for Josh, a hurt dragon that needed to learn that not every human was sent to hurt him. That maybe some humans just wanted to help.

And a week later, when Tyler noticed that Toothless was missing from his unofficial home on the living room chair, his heart maybe melted a little bit when he found the stuffed dragon on top of all of Josh’s treasures on the closet floor.

**Author's Note:**

> Again, thank you so much for the feedback! I got a bit of a writer's block in the middle of writing this, so hopefully it's okay. The next part is going to be Tyler trying to get Josh to love himself, so I'm not sure how much fluff there will be, and it will most likely be chaptered since I have paragraphs of notes left on just that subject alone.
> 
> Kudos and comments are really appreciated!
> 
> [Tumblr](http://summerdownturn.tumblr.com)


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